Noem vaunts hands-off virus approach; testing draws concern
Associated Press— South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Wednesday doubled-down on her hands-off approach to the coronavirus pandemic by pointing to the state’s low hospitalization numbers, and cast doubt on key recommendations from public health officials like wearing a mask. Noem has said repeatedly that “science, facts and data” lead her decisions, but that appears to come down to a single metric for determining the state’s success in fighting the coronavirus: Hospitalizations. In South Dakota, the state’s largest health care providers still vet whether people need a test, usually limiting them to people with symptoms Dr. David Basel, vice president of Clinical Quality at Avera Medical, said health care providers are looking to expand testing, but need to make sure they don’t run out of supplies. Noem made another claim that defies recommendations from many public health experts, saying that “asymptomatic people very rarely spread the virus.” An official from the World Health Organization said last month that it appears to be rare asymptomatic people transmit the virus.
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Noem’s travel builds profile as virus surges in South Dakota
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South Dakota’s Noem speaks at RNC as state virus cases rise
Associated Press
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Noem reports no new cases, but irked by test supply shortage
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